State Film Commissions Guide: Michigan

State Film Commissions Guide: Michigan

What are some of the greatest financial perks of filming in your state? Michigan has a dynamic and competitive incentive program in place for the film and digital media industry.

What tax credits are available for productions in your state? Michigan has an incentive of up to 35% on eligible Michigan
expenditures. Michigan’s incentive is not a tax credit. It is a direct
cash payment once expenditures are approved and the audit review
process is complete. Eligible projects include motion pictures,
documentaries, television series, music videos, interactive games,
Internet programming, Internet videos, sound recordings, digital
animation, interactive websites and video games.

What are some of the locations in your state that filmmakers should know about? Michigan has incredibly diverse locations. It has doubled as Boston,
Las Vegas, New York City, and Paris just to name a few. From the scenic
shores of Lake Michigan to Detroit’s turn-of-the-century architecture
Michigan has the perfect location for any project. The Film Office also
has a locations database with more than 78,000 photos representing more
than 5,400 locations and offers personalize locations packages and two
days of scouting.

Are there studios and soundstages that the state hosts that filmmakers should know about? Michigan offers an additional 3% incentive for work done at qualified
facilities or post-production facilities in the state. A list of
qualified facilities is available at www.michiganfilmmoffice.org.

What can you tell us about talented labor in your state? Do you have robust union representation? Michigan has built a reputation for its talented workforce. You will
find crew all over the state. Michigan’s largest crew base is in the
southeastern part of the state and in metro Detroit, but you will also
find crew in Grand Rapids and most city areas. Help find crew using the
production directory on michigan.org. The Film Office also provides
contact information for local Teamsters and IATSE offices.

What are some of the recent productions that produced films in your state? “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” “Real Steel,”
“Ides of March,” “The Five Year Engagement,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “Black Sky”

What cities have their own film commissions in your state? Detroit, Ann Arbor, West Michigan, Wayne County, Oakland County, Macomb County

How many productions shot in your state last year? 13 incentivized projects

What
should filmmakers do if they’re interested in shooting a film in your
state? Who should they contact if they have more questions? Visit the Michigan Film Office website (www.michigan.org) for an FAQ on
the incentive program and to download the incentive application.

For questions about applying for the incentive contact:
Selam Ghirmai – ghirmais@michigan.org